An instagram post by Greyfox with a photo of the Royal Court of Justice which, he says, used to be his haunt before he became a blogger, having worked as a lawyer for many years, kind of resonated with me.
I used to be an art historian before I became a model, my doctoral thesis, back in the days, was in art history and archaeology and for many years I taught about visual culture and performance. I am an art lover and living in London is a blessing because there is always some exhibition going on and, most importantly, permanent collections in major museums are totally free to access, which means one can go and see masterpieces again and again. This is such an amazing opportunity, totally inexistent in other countries, where museums always charge an entry fee. I am always puzzled that people do not really take full advantage of it.
The National Gallery is one of my favourites among the London museums. Armed with an National Art Fund pass I gained discounted entry to the Monochrome exhibition yesterday afternoon (permanent collections are free but exhibitions are not) and really enjoyed it though I wondered why the curators had been so haphazard in putting art works together. The thematic arrangement was weak and chronology was not a major concern. But I loved many of the chosen items and enjoyed the last exhibit, a room flooded with orange by Olafur Eliasson. Visitors were invited to take selfies - of course I took advantage!
Then I decided to go to the main gallery to view yet again some of my favourite paintings.
I love walking around the Gallery playing a little game with myself, trying to guess at once who painted this or that work and then checking by reading the labels. Most of the time I get it right, when I do not, I really try to learn about the brushstrokes and get a feel for the painting. Great artists have a powerfully expressive brushstroke no matter what the period or style. It is what really makes you respond, emotionally, to the work.
My favourite painter is Diego Velázquez. Las Meninas is his masterpiece and is housed at the Prado in Madrid but the National Gallery has two works by the great Velázquez, the Rokeby Venus and a royal boar hunt scene (La Tela Real), which is so multilayered, just like Las Meninas, going beyond a mere depiction of a hunt - that is the genius of Velázquez, the way he can take you from the mundane to the sublime. Incidentally, the Monochrome exhibition has a black and white Picasso's rendition of Las Meninas , a painting that has intrigued for centuries and has stimulated responses by a number of great artists, such as Picasso.
What I also love doing at the National Gallery (or any other museum of renown) is sit and watch the world go by and hear the different responses by other visitors. As I was contemplating the Rokeby Venus, a Spanish family came along and the mother began to jump up and down saying to the kids 'Look, look, this is a famous painting, this is aVelázquez'.' 'Why is it famous, mummy?' asked one of the little girls. 'It's famous because it's art' the mother said.
I thought the answer was daft. Then it struck me that well, it is art, so it was not so off the mark. How else would you describe the Rokeby Venus? Otherwise known as the 'Toilet of Venus', it is a nude, painted some time between 1647-1651, showing a beautiful woman, the goddess Venus, looking at her reflection, with her son Cupid holding up the mirror. It is known as Rokeby because it used to be in the Morritt collection at Rokeby Park, in county Durham.
The very trajectory of provenance of art works is intriguing to say the least. It warrants a completely different post.
For now it will suffice to say that the Monochrome exhibition is definitely worth checking out. And also do check out the permanent collection at the National Gallery, you will not be disappointed. A good way to while away a cold wintery afternoon.
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